Wedding etiquette/tradition in the USA?

[FUEGO]

Not that I'm aware of. There would be a lot of drinking during the reception if the event is hosted in VN, but here in the US, drinking is only moderate. Never heard of gambling associated with wedding before.

What country is your wife from?

Thailand/Cambodia/Laos. It's all mixed up.

I think I may have been hoodwinked and my SIL really just wanted to throw us a nice wedding so she could invite everyone in the extended family and friend network over to gamble and drink. The way the gambling works is that the house takes a cut of the pot on each round when someone wins (some game like highly simplified poker that involves bluffing). So big financial incentive for one to maximize number of guests, maximize dollar amounts bet, and maximize play time (like a real casino).

But we received almost exclusively cash gifts, part of which we actually got to keep after we paid the SIL for her food and efforts. In the end it was a nicely profitable transaction - we got a small amount of cash right as we were finishing grad school, and I got a great wife out of it!

 

[Sam]

Thailand/Cambodia/Laos. It's all mixed up.

Oh yeah, I remember you telling me this before.
Sam

 

[FUEGO]

Oh yeah, I remember you telling me this before.
Sam

And the SIL in question that threw the big wedding party is actually married to a VN guy. But he wasn't the driver of the gambling!

 

[Nords]

You go Sarah!
Some of the Eastern European heritage type traditions that were / are common in Pittsburgh were nicely documented in the movie The Deer Hunter.
Free

I was just remembering our 1970s Pittsburgh tradition of the bride's father bringing a tray of loaded shot glasses out to the dance floor. For paying the father the price of a shot, the male guests were allowed a brief dance with the bride. It was a great way to offer personal congratulations & thanks.

My best friend's new father-in-law was able to handle two trays at once-- he said he'd been practicing.

Geez, that couple's been married for nearly 30 years... who are those geezers?

 

[Achiever51]

I'm with Sarah all the way!

Not long ago I went to a bridal shower where every attendee was told to write her name and address on an envelope at her plate, supposedly so the bride-to-be would have correct addresses for the wedding invitations. I was shocked (shocked, I tell you!) to receive a few days later a pre-printed thank you card -- not even personally signed -- for my thoughtfully selected gift...in the envelope I addressed myself! Tacky, tacky!